Konoha: This Uchiha is going a bit too far.

Chapter 191 Who is stronger, Indra or Hashirama?

Chapter 191 Who is stronger, Indra or Hashirama Senju?

What happens in the Land of Waterfalls is not something that can only be felt within the Land of Waterfalls.

The destructive power of that thousand-meter-tall Buddha statue was beyond imagination, and all the surrounding countries realized that something was wrong.

Konoha is also a neighboring country of the Land of Waterfalls.

The fact that other countries were gathering troops in this area was already provoking Konoha, so the Konoha ninjas naturally paid attention.

Furthermore, a few days ago, Konoha's advisors issued a new order instructing members of the Anbu not to get too close and to observe the situation there.

To be honest, this order left the members of the Dark Division somewhat bewildered. What kind of orders were these?

They can't let us get too close, and they still need to gather intelligence. Even if Hyuga came, it wouldn't be of much use, right?

Moreover, as members of the Anbu, they knew that things had been quiet lately, and they also had some missions that involved contact with Hyuga.

So they couldn't rely on Hyuga anymore, which made them extremely frustrated.

However, they soon seemed to understand what was going on.

The deafening earthquake, the towering Buddha statue, the collapsed earth, the corpses strewn across the fields, some so numerous that even the bodies couldn't be found, only bloodstains everywhere.

These terrifying scenes left all the ANBU ninjas stunned. Was this the end of the world?

"How is that possible?"

When this news reached Konoha, the old guard of the village was completely overwhelmed.

Based on the description, they certainly knew what that thing was!

Tobirama Senju was Hashirama Senju's younger brother, so he naturally knew just how powerful his older brother was.

The Third Generation, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all experienced this in their childhood, and even from a great distance, they could vaguely see the true meaning of the "giant Buddha".

They all knew that was the First Hokage's signature technique, the pinnacle Wood Release used to defeat Madara Uchiha—Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands!

But when such an ability appears on 'Uchiha Madara', is this really reasonable? Is this really how it should be?

Moreover, they couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if Madara Uchiha of this world possessed such power.

Instead of attacking Konoha with the "Susanoo Nine-Tails," he's going to unleash the "Susanoo Great Buddha." Does Konoha still have any hope then?

After much deliberation, they finally reached a consensus.

"I'm tired. Let it all end. There's no hope left."

According to Konoha's statistics, the "Susanoo Buddha" changed nearly a third of the terrain of the Land of Waterfall with just one attack!

Although the attack range of the "Susanoo Buddha" was not as large as expected, it was just like the disaster caused by the "Lunar Tide" before.

The earthquakes, floods, landslides, and other disasters triggered by the attack of the "Susanoo Buddha" caused unimaginable damage to the entire Land of Waterfall.

If it weren't for the fact that the population of Takigakure is really small—after all, this godforsaken place is truly poor, even with ninja villages—it would be much worse.

The residents were all relatively scattered, and there were hardly any people in the area where Onoki lived.

Otherwise, the crisis triggered by a single attack could have led to the complete annihilation of the Takigawa Kingdom!

The Susanoo-clad Buddha, with its two-man army destroying four countries, is no joke sometimes.

Under such intense pressure, Yuzhi finally "returned," but before he could even "rest" properly, he was dragged into the office.

"I mean, are you guys really that serious?"

Yuzhi was somewhat amused and exasperated. Although this matter had indeed become quite serious, was it really necessary to be so nervous?

"How could it not be that bad?"

Tobirama Senju spoke impatiently, but soon he frowned and asked somewhat awkwardly but also with concern.

"But you, are you alright?"

"I should be fine."

Yuzhi pursed his lips; he knew that his current situation was far from good.

Before leaving, he looked in the mirror and found that he was actually quite pale and had a full beard that he hadn't had time to shave.

His haggard appearance filled him with deep emotion.

"I've been ruined by alcohol and women, and I've become so haggard. From this day forward, I will abstain from alcohol!"

Despite thinking this way, he couldn't help but reminisce a bit. At four in the morning in Konoha, the sky was still quite nice.

He even updated the time in Konoha, so you could occasionally catch a glimpse of the sunrise.

"That Madara Uchiha guy, how could he train you so harshly?"

Senju Tobirama, bewildered, said fiercely.

"That bastard, doesn't he know he's not even from this world? What right does he have to treat you, the Hokage, like this?"

"Teacher, it seems Madara Uchiha left after his attack."

The third generation was also somewhat strained, but his gaze toward the haori seemed slightly strange.

Yuzhi looks so haggard, it doesn't seem like she's been training.

"Don't worry, I'm really fine."

Yuzhi shook his head and slowly explained, but he didn't say anything because he was really fine.

Don't let his somewhat haggard appearance fool you; a large part of the reason is that he hasn't had enough sleep, after all, he's been having a pretty wild time.

Besides that, his 'Asura Power' hadn't been fully restored, and even for him, 'Sage Art: True Thousand Hands' was very difficult!

"But what's the matter that you're in such a hurry about? Tell me, and I'll go back to rest after you've finished."

Madara Uchiha gave me a lot of good stuff, and I really had to train hard.

I want to go back and prepare properly; this time I've gained a lot.

"Was it fruitful?"

Although the Third Hokage's gaze was somewhat strange, he didn't dwell on it any further, since he couldn't see anything wrong with Yuri anyway.

Moreover, after observing Haori for a moment, Tsunade did not say anything more, which clearly indicated that Tsunade was also certain of Haori's physical condition.

Now, Tsunade has undergone tremendous changes after obtaining the First Hokage's cells. Even though she hasn't yet created any Wood Release techniques, her strength has already increased significantly!

"True Thousand Hands!"

Tobirama Senju was probably the weakest among those present. His Impure World Reincarnation hadn't been altered yet, which was the result he himself wanted.

He planned to create a better body and then combine it with resurrection magic to completely resurrect himself.

So he didn't do anything before that, since it wasn't his turn to fight anyway, which was fine.

"How did Madara Uchiha use the True Several Thousand Hands technique?"

"Isn't this a normal thing?"

Yuri raised an eyebrow. He had long anticipated that Tobirama Senju would ask this question, after all, the "True Several Thousand Hands" was no ordinary Wood Release technique.

If he wasn't curious about this thing, then Yuzhi would suspect that there was something wrong with him.

After adjusting her posture and stretching slightly, Yuzhi continued speaking.

"I gained a lot of insights from this trip, and I believe Tsunade can also gain some inspiration from some of the information here."

Especially since a lot of this is about your older brother, our First Hokage, I'd probably tell you even if you asked.

"About my older brother?"

Tobirama Senju didn't notice that Haori had taken the initiative in the conversation, but even if he had, he wouldn't have cared; he was filled with curiosity.

"My grandfather?"

Tsunade blinked. She had only intended to be a bystander and watch the show, but now it seemed the situation had taken an unexpected turn.

"Yes, it's about the first generation."

Yuzhi nodded, and then he smiled and spoke.

"On this trip, Madara Uchiha intends to teach some training on the 'Six Paths Technique,' although this 'Six Paths Technique' is what he calls it."

"What an arrogant guy."

Upon hearing this, Tobirama Senju immediately lost his composure and interrupted Hagoromo.

"Are you going to listen or not? If you don't want to listen, I won't say anything more."

Haori glared at Tobirama Senju, which made Tobirama slightly aggrieved, but he eventually quieted down.

"The important components of this 'Six Paths Technique' are 'Yin Escape' and 'Yang Escape'."

The power of Yin Release involves the Uchiha clan; this is our core secret. Although telling you wouldn't make a big deal, it wouldn't be of any use anyway.

The core strength of the Uchiha clan lies in the Sharingan, in mental control. You don't have these eyes, so listening to this won't help you.

However, the Yang Release technique is quite suitable for everyone, especially those who have obtained the First Hokage's power; this information is particularly valuable to them.

At this point, Yuzhi paused slightly. He had already figured out how to deal with these issues and shared some of Hashirama Senju's conjectures.

After all, Hashirama Senju's uniqueness is quite incredible, and it would be extremely difficult to replicate, but it's not impossible to try.

"We have obtained the power of Yang Release. Now we need to think about how to popularize it. However, this power of Yang Release is really too basic compared to the First Hokage."

Actually, I want to ask you a question: how did the Senju clan fight, and how did the First Hokage fight?

The question about the haori made everyone involuntarily turn to look at Tobirama Senju, even the Third Hokage and his group.

Although the Third Hokage and others were quite old, and they were born before the founding of Konoha.

However, at that time, they were too young to know some things, so they didn't know much about many things.

But Tobirama Senju was different; he had actually participated in all sorts of chaotic battles!

"The Thousand Hands of the past?"

Tobirama Senju frowned, and although he found it difficult to speak, he still spoke up.

"According to our previous battle strategy, we would always unite with other clans in the ninja world. Uzumaki and Sarutobi have always been our allies."

Although my elder brother inherited this trait, however…

"But your older brother is too special; he doesn't need these so-called allies at all, right?"

Yu Zhi smiled and asked softly.

"According to the records, your Senju clan is actually no match for the Uchiha."

However, it was only through your alliance with the Uzumaki, Sarutobi, and even the Ino-Shika-Cho trio that the Uchiha were able to fight back and forth.

Furthermore, according to earlier records, when you encountered some more powerful Uchiha, your choice was to search for the Tailed Beasts.

Wood Release has never been a symbol of the Senju clan. The power of Wood Release belongs exclusively to Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage!

I think you should now understand just how special your older brother, our First Hokage, really is, right?

It's fine if you don't think about it too much, but once you do, you'll realize that Hashirama Senju was truly exceptional.

Perhaps it was because Black Zetsu interfered that the Senju lineage was broken, which prevented this "most special Ashura" from choosing a tailed beast.

So much so that he became the kind of person who could shout, "Nine-Tails, you're too dangerous!" and then casually beat Nine-Tails to a pulp.

Without the tailed beast, a standard feature of Ashura, he used the power of Indra to temper himself from a young age.

The strength he gained from this approach was unprecedented, and the power he displayed was unimaginable.

At least for him, he was considered to have "reversed the heavenly order," whereas before the Senju were ganging up on the Uchiha.

When it came to him, everyone else just watched and cheered, while he went up alone and beat up the Uchiha.

"So, here comes another 'Guan Yu versus Qin Qiong' question: who's stronger, Hashirama Senju or Ashura?"

This question really put Yuzhi in a difficult position to answer, since just how powerful the "Nine-Tails Chakra Mode" is, you only need to look at Naruto to know.

While the "True Several Thousand Hands" could easily defeat Madara Uchiha's "Armored Susanoo," Hagoromo himself had already tried the "Susanoo Nine-Tails."

The two forces did not resonate at all; it was simply a matter of '1+1', and the answer might not even be '2'.

Therefore, it's not surprising that he was beaten up. The "Nine-Tails Chakra Mode" is a powerful force that is completely combined with the two powers and bursts forth.

The strength of this power was beyond imagination. Although it was still defeated by Madara who had activated the Rinnegan, the problem was that this was Madara with the Rinnegan!

He was only one step away from the Six Paths.

"So, it's not that easy to evaluate. Perhaps Hashirama Senju could be a step ahead?"

Even if they can't suppress him, Ashura will probably get a brutal beating without his tailed beast, right?

However, in terms of bloodline, he would probably be completely outmatched, just like Indra was compared to Madara Uchiha.

In terms of bloodline, probably no one can compare to those two true "second generation" members, since they are direct descendants and there's nothing that can be done about it.

However, it's hard to say for sure in terms of combat strength, but in any case, Hashirama Senju has already figured out the possibilities he brings.

So what he needs to do is very simple: try, replicate, and then do it himself, and finally achieve the true meaning of the 'Six Paths Bloodline'!

Or rather, it is the "Otsutsuki bloodline".

As for how to become an "Otsutsuki," without the "Karma" seal, and without wanting to be influenced by the chakra of "Indra and Ashura,"...

So the options available to Yuzhi were already fixed, but over the years, with the power of his cheat codes and his own continuous optimization, he had become quite clear about them.

"Indra's chakra, Ashura's chakra, bloodline enhancement, bloodline limit—this is my path!"

The meeting lasted a long time because it involved a lot of things.

Fortunately, a lot of details were confirmed this time, both those concerning Konoha and those concerning Hagoromo herself.

Of course, this meeting also settled some minor matters, namely, the first disciple of the Feathered Robe.

Inside the Ninja Academy, everything was vibrant and full of life.

However, today, something inadvertently sparked a discussion among everyone.

"Tch, why is it that guy with the white glasses?"

"Yeah, why didn't you choose me?"

Inside the classroom, Sasuke and Naruto sat together, their expressions looking rather grim.

Sasuke might be slightly better off, since Haori is his father. Even if he doesn't become his disciple, it doesn't matter, as Haori has taught him quite a bit on a regular basis.

Especially recently, Yuzhi taught him a technique of Lightning Release, and he even heard that Yuzhi went to get Kakashi's Chidori to help him adapt better.

Although he didn't know why his father, Yuzhi, thought he would be more suited to lightning-style techniques like Chidori.

He felt that he should be more skilled in techniques like fire-style jutsu, just like his father, but he didn't dare to argue.

Furthermore, he had to admit that he seemed to learn Lightning Release faster than Fire Release.

This made him wonder if his father had been secretly observing him and that's why he made this judgment.

This made him especially happy, because Yuzhi cared about him so much!

But now that he has another disciple, doesn't that mean he's here to compete for favor? This makes him somewhat uneasy.

Naruto's situation was simpler. He had heard that his father had a good relationship with the Hokage, Hagoromo, and that his father had mentioned Hagoromo's strength more than once or twice.

Although his father was also very strong, he thought that if he could become a disciple of Yuzhi and learn a few more skills, that would be great.

With his father and this Hokage uncle by his side, wouldn't he become even stronger in the future?

In that case, maybe I can become Hokage in the future!

It turned out it wasn't him.

"Tch, stop dreaming. How could Father possibly choose you?"

Sasuke was somewhat uncomfortable after hearing Naruto's words. He glanced at Naruto with displeasure and said.

Naruto immediately stood up. Although his heart was full of thoughts of his childhood friend, he was always easily angered for some reason.

"Damn it, I didn't choose you either!"

"I don't need that. I can see my father every day."

"You talk like you don't care!"

"I just don't care."

"real?"

"real!"

"real?"

"Idiot, shut up!"

Even Sasuke couldn't hold back when faced with Naruto's constant chatter.

He was still worried that the guy with the white eyes would steal his attention; Naruto's constant chatter was really annoying him.

"Your father didn't choose you when selecting disciples, so what are you being so arrogant about?"

"You bastard, you're lying to me! I was still a kid back then!"

Sasuke's words startled Naruto for a moment, but he quickly realized how old he was back then.

His father hasn't been Hokage for very long, so he can't even choose him as a disciple!

For a moment, the two of them started "oral gymnastics" again, as if they were ready to "come out and fight me one-on-one," which made Shikamaru, who was sitting in front of them, a little annoyed.

"What a nuisance, those two idiots."

Listening to the two's childish conversation, Shikamaru couldn't help but sigh.

He had already explained that it was impossible for the two of them to become so-called Hokage disciples, after all, they were both "Sons of Hokage".

Even if someone is biased, they wouldn't necessarily show favoritism to their own son, would they?

Besides, this is absolutely necessary. You can teach anything at home, while a Hokage disciple would probably have a hard time even getting to see the Hokage.

Moreover, as the Hokage's disciple, you have to perform well in every aspect, otherwise people will be talking about you behind your back everywhere.

People won't say that the Hokage chose bad disciples; they'll just say that you didn't work hard enough, that you had such good resources but didn't achieve your goals, and that it's all your fault.

That kind of pressure is something most people can't handle; at least Shikamaru doesn't think there's anything good about becoming a Hokage's disciple.

"What are you saying!"

Although Shikamaru was muttering his complaints quietly, Naruto and Sasuke still heard him.

The two little guys immediately stopped and turned to look at Shikamaru with displeasure.

"Okay, stop arguing."

Choji, who was standing to the side, was also a little flustered when he saw this scene. The chubby boy knew just how good these two were at fighting.

Their usual training and assessments mainly consist of physical skills, and these two will be opponents in every training and assessment.

And they elevated this kind of training to a level that was not appropriate for it.

Physical combat is normal, throwing projectiles at each other is basic, and it's not uncommon for people to even use high-level ninjutsu on each other when they get angry.

It's fair to say that every time these two clashed, it was a nerve-wracking spectacle, even for Iruka-sensei.

It's said that Iruka-sensei has wanted to send them out of school or even skip a grade more than once.

However, the matter was eventually suppressed, and they stayed here obediently without going anywhere.

Moreover, the chubby boy remembered that once when they went on an adventure in the back mountain, they encountered a wild boar that bared its teeth at them.

The end result was that they were rubbing their stomachs and grinning with toothpicks in their hands.

Now that these two have their eyes on Shikamaru, the chubby guy is really afraid they'll tear him apart.

"Have some potato chips, the last two are the best."

As the chubby boy spoke, he reluctantly handed over the bag of potato chips. The last few chips were his favorite, but now he had no choice but to take them out.

"Alright, it's no big deal. These two are always like this."

Shikamaru yanked the bag of potato chips back, preventing Naruto and Sasuke from getting their hands on it, before saying something rather bored.

"You two can keep arguing, Iruka-sensei will be here soon."

"Tch, who's afraid?"

Upon hearing this, Naruto and Sasuke immediately shrank back, though they said they weren't afraid, they were still quite nervous.

Naruto had his parents' guidance and knew what it meant to "respect one's teachers and value the way of the world," and Sasuke was even more so.

Yu Zhi is a time traveler, so we didn't make him memorize "On Teachers." We should thank Yu Zhi for almost forgetting the whole text and only remembering the classic passages.

Otherwise, all those "teacher's teachings" and everything he learned as a child would become an ocean that would drown Sasuke's entire childhood.

"If you're not afraid, then you're not afraid. After all, you're all children of the Hokage."

Shikamaru blinked, and then spoke lazily as usual.

"Anyway, it's just being sent out to stand as punishment, but you won't be able to finish writing your self-criticism while being sent out to stand as punishment."

The Fifth Hokage is holding a disciple-acceptance banquet tonight, right? If you haven't finished writing your self-criticisms, you won't be able to go.

Don't think Iruka-sensei will let you off the hook. He's the Fifth Hokage's junior, and they're very close.

"this."

Naruto and Sasuke were stunned. They really hadn't finished writing their apology for skipping class.

However, Sasuke soon asked tentatively.

"Didn't you skip class with us, and so did Ya? Have you guys finished writing?"

Sasuke knew that Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba would all be going to the ceremony with their parents tonight, which was why he was so curious.

"I finished writing it in the last class."

Shikamaru shrugged, and Choji smiled shyly. Then Shikamaru pointed to Kiba, who was writing something with his head down, and said.

"Look, he's much smarter than you guys."

"Oh no!"

Seeing their friends skipping class and running away, Naruto and Sasuke couldn't hold back any longer. They exchanged a glance and finally let out a heavy "humph."

Then they lowered their heads and began frantically "rushing to finish their homework." If they didn't finish their self-criticisms, Iruka-sensei might not let them go.

"What an idiot, how could I be friends with them?"

Ino, who had been silent all along and had blond hair, covered her face; she really couldn't bear to watch any longer.

Hinata, who was not far away, looked over with curiosity. She was also going to the ceremony tonight, after all, it was for her cousin Neji.

However, she was also curious as to why her father was so angry and upset after learning about this.

"Shouldn't we be happy about this?"

"Cheer up, Neji! You're going to become the Hokage's disciple!"

While Hinata was being curious, in the first-year high school class, Lee looked at Neji with excitement and said...

Tenten was also around Neji, while Neji tried his best to appear calm with a blank expression.

Although Lee doesn't have much talent and his chakra expression is weak, he seems to be exceptionally hardworking and takes everything he does very seriously.

Although Neji initially looked down on Lee, he often went there himself because his father worked in the police department.

Over time, he not only became familiar with the place, but also learned a lot of interesting things there.

He knew that his father's former superior, the current Fifth Hokage of Konoha, had a close friend, the current Jonin of Konoha, Might Guy.

This Jonin was said to be skilled in chakra from the beginning, and was even considered to be at the bottom of the class, only slightly better than Haori and Obito in the academy.

Of course, they're pretty much on par. Aside from that consistently bottom-ranked Obito Uchiha, this Jonin Guy is nearly on par with the Hokage.

However, now, apart from the deceased Obito Uchiha, Might Guy has become a Jonin in Konoha and is also recognized as a taijutsu master in Konoha.

As for Yuzhi, needless to say, the series of titles made him feel both incredulous and somewhat dizzy.

Sometimes, he couldn't help but think about one thing—

"Is the bottom-ranked student actually a hidden master?"

Although this idea is biased, Xiao Li's situation is obviously different. Although he sometimes gives up on himself, his efforts are touching.

Neji is different now that his father is alive.

Although he initially looked down on Xiao Li, their relationship gradually improved. Xiao Li would often ask him questions about cultivation, and he was happy to offer guidance.

Moreover, he had heard from his father that Lee seemed to have gained the attention of Jonin Guy.

This made Neji a little nervous; he felt that he might also witness the 'underdog's comeback'.

As for Tenten, her grades are neither good nor bad, but Neji isn't the type to keep people at arm's length anymore, and over time they've developed a good relationship.

He was still somewhat dazed, because he really hadn't expected that he could become a Hokage's disciple!

"Is this a miscommunication? Is Hinata actually a Hokage disciple?"

When Neji first heard this information, he couldn't help but think that way, after all, he didn't really think he was that powerful, and he was a member of the branch family.

As a member of a branch family, he disliked the members of the main family; their arrogant attitude disgusted him from the bottom of his heart.

But Hinata is different. Although she is also from the main family, Hinata has never made things difficult for him. Sometimes, when problems arise, Hinata will even take responsibility herself instead of dragging him down.

This made Neji really respect Hinata, so when he heard the news, his first reaction was that there must have been a mistake.

Only after confirming it several times did he realize that there was no mistake, he really had become a disciple of the Hokage!

He was naturally overjoyed to become a Hokage's disciple, but he dared not show it, fearing it would be shameful.

Moreover, he is now feeling some pressure. As the Hokage's disciple, if he doesn't perform well, wouldn't he embarrass everyone?

"I'm happy, but..."

Neji tried hard to suppress his nervousness and forced a smile as he spoke.

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly saw two people walking towards him, and he couldn't help but frown slightly when he saw them.

Kimimaro, and White?

He knew these two people very well. As a top student, Neji always had excellent grades, but these two were always his competitors.

Or rather, these two weren't really competing with him; they were just "slacking off" in many assessments and simply "drifting through" their time at school.

Even though they were "slacking off and just getting by," their intensity was still unbelievably high!

Whether it's Haku, who looks as pretty as a girl, or Kimimaro, who always has a blank expression and is also very handsome, their strength is terrifying.

Neji had fought them during training, and he could sense that these two could easily defeat him, but they always maintained an attitude of "a draw is fine".

This puzzled Neji greatly. What puzzled him even more was that these two guys seemed to have an extremely good relationship with the Uchiha clan.

Although in terms of appearance, they seem to fit the Uchiha clan.

But names can't be faked; at least their surname isn't Uchiha.

"Congratulations, Neji."

Just as Neji was lost in thought, Haku spoke to him with a sweet smile, and Kimimaro nodded in return.

"Congratulations on becoming the Hokage's disciple."

"Thank you, thank you."

Neji was a little confused about the situation, but he still subconsciously smiled and replied.

"But you must remember this."

However, Kimimaro spoke again soon after, and this time his voice became much sharper.

"If you don't perform as expected and embarrass the Hokage, then I will kill you myself!"

The Hokage's reputation must not be desecrated by anyone!

"."

Neji was starting to lose his composure; he really didn't know how to refute that statement.

When it came to the Hokage, he said he had nothing to say, and he felt that if he really disgraced the Hokage, Kimimaro wouldn't even need to lift a finger.

His father might kill him himself on the grounds of "family misfortune," for he knew all too well the Hokage's place in his father's heart.

"Hey, how dare you talk like that!"

Xiao Li was somewhat unconvinced. Although seeing Kimimaro's fierce appearance and his impressive record at school made Xiao Li feel intimidated, he still mustered up the courage to stand up for his friend.

"that is."

Tian Tian couldn't help but speak up, but at this moment she also noticed that everyone around her was looking at her.

Especially those Uchiha members, their originally displeased gazes turned to one of relief.

After all, their clan leader had chosen a Hyuga as his disciple, which meant they would inevitably get a lecture when they got home.

Neji is practically becoming the "neighbor's kid," how could they possibly be happy about that?

Moreover, Kimimaro's relationship with them is quite good. Although they don't usually say it, it was Kimimaro and Haku who requested it themselves, but they are family and that won't change.

Now that they see Kimimaro and Haku in the limelight, they are naturally overjoyed.

"Alright, that's enough."

Bai tugged at Kimimaro, which calmed him down, and then he smiled and said.

"I'm sorry, please don't take it to heart. He has always respected the Hokage."

"I know that."

Neji gave an awkward laugh. How could he not know after being told that?

"Good luck. I believe the Hokage must have his own reasons for choosing you."

Haku smiled and encouraged Neji, then pulled Kimimaro away. As he left, he didn't forget to say something with a smile.

"Also, see you tonight."

"Okay, tonight?"

Neji replied instinctively, but he quickly froze.

See you tonight?